No one can argue that Guy Richie has quite the unique way of telling a story. You can always tell his work if you’ve seen any of his past movies. The “guy” is never short on dialogue nor is he shy about making the unconventional conventional. Every time I think, “hmmmm he’s a peculiar chose of a director for this movie”, he seems to pull enjoyment from the pits of skepticism. Now, I’ve given up and I just say “in Guy we trust.” His latest wild flick is King Arthur: Legend of the Sword and boy does he have his work cut out for him. Thankfully he has a sharp sword to help.
The story of King Arthur: Legend of the Sword almost mimics that of baby Moses to adult Moses but with more sword fighting. As young Arthur grows from an abandoned child, he picks up street knowledge will helps him become a survivor. When he grows into an adult, Arthur (Charlie Hunnam) is about as far from a king behavior-wise as a person could possibly be. Under the tyranny of a merciless ruler, Vortigern (Jude Law), the people live in fear. Upon learning that Vortigern’s dominion is in jeopardy due to a forgotten sibling, he goes on a murderous rampage in order to discover who this threat is. A reluctant hero (Hunnam) has no choice but to give into fate and follow the path that is meant for him. Heads will roll but it’ll be in a very entertaining way.
I’ll start by saying that those that hold tightly the traditional stories of King Arthur may have difficulty siding with Guy Richie’s version of the legend. On the other hand, fans of Richie’s previous works will be happy to learn that he stays on a very familiar course as tell’s Arthur’s origin story. King Arthur: Legend of the Sword feels like a mash-up of Snatch (2000) and Sherlock Holmes (2009) sprinkled with a small portion of traditional King Arthur on top.
The witty dialogue, fast camera switching from character to character and the thick accents provide a familiar ambiance while experiencing King Arthur: Legend of the Sword. While it isn’t a popcorn flick per se, there’s zero doubt that you, the paying customer, are in for a unique thrill ride…on horseback. Don’t try and take this movie too seriously. Just be happy that someone is willing to take a chance and give us something slightly different than the same old story that we’ve heard countless times. Even at 126 minutes long, there’s a lot to be told and audiences will be entertained throughout. See this one in theaters today.
